Channing Tatum Says He Will Never Medicate His Child for Learning Difficulties

The husband of Jenna Dewan also expresses his concern about Justin Bieber, saying people who gain fame at an early age have it much harder.

Channing Tatum is entering fatherhood as his wife Jenna Dewan gave birth to a baby girl named Everly. Learning from his negative experience of taking study drugs, he said in an interview before his wife went into labor that he would never medicate his child for learning difficulties.

"I read so slow," he opened up to Vanity Fair about his own learning difficulties. "If I have a script I'm going to read it five times slower than any other actor, but I'll be able to tell you everything in it. It kills me that there are standardized tests geared towards just one kind of child."

The "Magic Mike" actor continued, "I truly believe some people need medication ... I did better at school when I was on it, but it made me a zombie. You become obsessive. Dexedrine, Adderall. It's like any other drug. It's like coke, or crystal meth. The more you do, the less it works."

"For a time, it would work well. Then it worked less and my pain was more. I would go through wild bouts of depression, horrible comedowns. I understand why kids kill themselves. I absolutely do. You feel terrible. You feel soul-less. I'd never do it to my child."

Tatum didn't blame his parents though. "They weren't perfect," he said. "I don't know anyone who did have perfect parents." Trying to see the good in everything, he went on, "It's provided me with lessons I'll try to improve upon when I'm up to bat. I'm just going to be a good friend to my kid."

"One thing I definitely want to change is that whole 'I don't want you to make the same mistakes' mentality. My dad didn't have much money growing up; he didn't have much of an education. He forced that on me, and I didn't want it," he recalled his childhood.

Relating fame with the complicated life of growing up, the new dad was concerned that many young stars went into down spiral. The hunky actor especially offered his comment on one particular teen star, Justin Bieber. "I worry about Bieber, man," he said.

"That kid's wildly talented. I hope he doesn't fall down into the usual ways of young kids because it's so hard for someone to be responsible when they're not asked to be," he explained his concern. "We're not asked to do things ourselves."

"You have someone there with a coffee. 'You want food? I'll get you food.' I put my bag in the trunk yesterday - I can't drive here - so my driver, great guy, Terry, amazing, I call him T-Bone, I drop my bag in and left the trunk open. And I get around to my door, and I'm like, 'What the f**k am I doing? That's not my behavior.' "